Priorities
by Elburn
Summary: Egon barely dared to breathe, but she didn't wake up. It was odd, he thought – without her armour, and minus the goth makeup, she looked... younger, somehow, more fragile." Kylie spends the night at HQ after a nightmare that shakes her to the core.


**Priorities**

*******

_By Fiona Conn_

The key clattered in the door lock as Kylie opened the front door to the Firehouse. Predictably, all was silent as she stepped inside, and the lights had long been turned off. It was, after all, the middle of the night.

Feeling her way around in the dark, she scrabbled with the door to lock it again behind her, and then continued across the entrance, the Ecto-1 under her hands, guiding her. Moonlight streamed in through a high up window, providing her enough light to find her way to the staircase.

Normally, unless there was a case, Kylie wouldn't have been at the Firehouse in the middle of the night. However... things were just... different tonight. Nonetheless, she resisted sinking into the couch or an armchair in the hope that perhaps, just perhaps, she could avoid sleep – although, as highly-strung as she was, she was sure that alone would prevent her from sleeping, even were she to sit down.

Her voice cried out in her head, reliving that awful moment, as Kylie wandered from the lounge to the kitchen to make something warm to drink.

_Eduardo!!_

She had noticed, even from behind him, that his hair was receding on every side. He had turned to her, hearing his name, but it wasn't... well it was Eduardo, but something terrible was happening to him... it was like he was melting...

He didn't even say anything before disappearing into a thick mist. Kylie had tried to yell out, only to find her voice restricted, and spun on her heel, looking for someone, anyone, to make the horror disappear. Nobody came. Instead, she was confronted by the sight of bodies, laying haphazardly across the ground, enshrouded by the mist.

_Egon? Roland? Garrett?_

A skeletal cat had rubbed its cheek against her leg. Then, a voice, calling out to her caught her attention. Kylie looked around for the source. She knew that voice! Grandma Rose had approached, reaching out to her.

"Grandma Rose..." Kylie whispered softly, taking her hand, and touching her cheek with the other. Finally, someone had come to deliver her from the scene of terror before her! Kylie enfolded her in a massive hug. But Grandma Rose didn't hug back. In fact, Grandma Rose didn't react at all. When Kylie pulled away, she discovered to her dismay, that even her grandmother was melting.

"No! Please, don't go!" Kylie had pleaded, tears flooding her vision. At that moment, she had awoken in her own bed, at home, Pagan hissing softly as he fled, startled by the sudden movement. It had just been a dream... right?

The microwave beeped, Kylie's attention returned to where and when she was: her milk was finished heating, and she could now proceed with making hot chocolate. It had just been a dream, Kylie reminded herself with a scowl as she mixed the cocoa powder into the warm milk. The Firehouse was still standing, there had been no calls that night, all was quiet. Everything was fine.

_Eduardo!_

Kylie squeezed her eyes shut, trying to block the memory from resurfacing. Why did it have to be that idiot? Why did she have to have that dream at all?! Banishing the thought from her mind, she curled up on the couch with her book, setting down the hot chocolate mug on the table next to her. Studying couldn't fail to keep her awake, right?

***

Elsewhere in the Firehouse, Egon sat back from focusing on the slide under his microscope. Taking off his glasses, he rubbed his eyes. What time was it? Surely late by now – late enough for his eyes to hurt and for him to have to stifle a yawn. Replacing his glasses, he peered up at the clock. Nearly half past one in the morning. Egon glanced blearily at the sheet sitting next to his microscope – he still needed to fill out the reference form before he could tidy away.

By the time he had finished filling out the required sections of his sheet, and tidied away the slides and other equipment, time had trailed on to 1:50am. Egon took one last cursory glance around the lab before turning off the light and heading down the corridor to get some sleep.

Just then, he noticed that somewhere, a light was still left on. Egon frowned: he thought everybody had left by now. The Firehouse had certainly been very quiet for hours, and he knew Janine locked the doors before leaving. Padding down the hallway brought him to the source of the light – a lamp, turned on in the lounge. As he went to turn it off, he noticed....

"Kylie," Egon murmured. She was fast asleep, curled up on the sofa, her book still in her hands. A mug of half-drunk hot chocolate was still on the table next to her. He gently prised the book loose from her hands, inserting a book mark to keep her place. Kylie shifted in her sleep, balling her fists close to her chest. Egon barely dared to breathe, but she didn't wake up. It was odd, he thought – without her armour, and minus the goth makeup, she looked... younger, somehow, more fragile. He also wondered why she was sleeping here, and not at home. Kylie would tell him if she wanted or was ready to, he reminded himself. It wasn't his place to interfere in her personal life or choices.

Taking a throw-blanket from the shelf, Egon gently, carefully, laid it over her before leaning over to turn off the light.

"Goodnight, Kylie," he murmured, and then he too went to go get some sleep.

***

Morning came what felt like all too fast. Bright sunlight streamed in through the lounge windows at the Firehouse. Kylie pulled the blanket over her head (_did I fetch that?_ She wondered as it enshrouded her in warm darkness), trying to block out the sun, and the sound of birds singing. Footsteps on the stairs signalled that it really was time to wake up. Reluctantly pushing the blanket away, she sat up, yawning and stretching. Her book sat on the table, a bookmark that she didn't remember having, slotted between the pages.

"Yo, chica, rise and shine!"

Kylie jolted to her feet, knocking the blanket to the floor in the process, and stared at Eduardo with wide eyes. He was still in one piece. He looked normal. His hair was its usual floppy mess. He was alive!

"Whaaaaaat?" Eduardo drawled, folding his arms. "You don't think I never seen you sleep before? Come on, breakfast. Before Slimeball gets at it." He wrinkled his nose and sauntered towards the kitchen without waiting for her.

How on earth, Kylie wondered, had she ever managed to doubt that Eduardo – that everyone – was alright? How on earth had that nightmare managed to spook her so badly? Picking up her book, she opened it where she had finally lost her attention, the book mark still firmly wedged between the pages. It was a very simple design, white laminated card with a red border of curvy lines. A simple printed font read: "those who are wise shall shine as stars". Had this bookmark belonged to Egon, Kylie wondered as she carefully slid it back into the book and set it down on the table?

From the kitchen, the smell of pancakes, and eggs, and bacon, wafted to the rest of the building. Everyone was okay, Kylie smiled, finally convinced. Now, it was time to stop worrying – to get her priorities straight, by having breakfast with those who meant the most to her, before going to class.

**END**


End file.
